The new year brings around new challenges for many in health and safety with projects starting up again and the potential for injuries after the festive period. RIDDOR is a key part of health and safety legislation that attempts to provide a framework for accidents and other related incidents to be reported. Here we take a look at 4 key areas to consider when you a following the RIDDOR regulations in 2021.
Do your staff know what the applicable incidents are?
Whilst an in-depth understanding of the RIDDOR regulations are mainly required for safety managers; if front line staff know what the RIDDOR reportable incidents are this will help you maintain your compliance. Some of the main reportable incidents include:
- Report of an injury
- Report of a case of disease
- Report of a flammable gas incident
- Report of a dangerous occurrence
- Report of a dangerous gas fitting
A full list of the reportable incidents can be found on the HSE Executive’s website.
Are you aware of how to fill in a RIDDOR report?
Knowing how to fill in a RIDDOR report is very important if you are the manager or ‘responsible person’ within the workplace. RIDDOR reports can take on different forms depending on the incident they are relating to.
There are a few rules of best practice: Give as much detail as possible, be factual and fill out the RIDDOR report as soon as possible. RIDDOR reports can be made through the HSE Executive’s website and HSE Network has provided in a little more detail best practice to follow when filling out a report.
Are you protecting workers from RIDDOR reportable incidents?
Whilst RIDDOR reports are very important, so too is preventing the incidents from occurring in the first place. Good accident investigation will help you to work out what went wrong and what can be done to make it go right in the future. Make sure your organisation is constantly working out how to make processes safer and keep workers out of harm’s way.
If a RIDDOR report has occurred in the past, taking a look at the findings could uncover a key piece of information that could stop the incident from occurring again in the future.
Ask yourself these 3 questions when looking at RIDDOR in 2021
2020 was a turbulent year for health and safety, and there may well be some further challenges for the industry in 2021. Keeping well informed of the basics like the RIDDOR and COSHH regulations will help keep your company compliant and your employees safe within the workplace.
